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Weekly Recap: Lamborghini to build SUV

Finally, Lamborghini will build a sport utility vehicle. The Italian supercar maker confirmed this week that it will launch a luxury SUV in 2018. It will be built at Lamborghini's soon-to-expand factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese in Italy, and will double the company's current sales volume. Lamborghini did not announce a name for the vehicle or other details, but noted a concept version, the Urus, was displayed at the Beijing motor show in 2012. It will be sold around the world, but it's expected to be a critical offering in the United States, China, and the Middle East. The automaker projects the SUV will sell about 3,000 units per year, and it will be the third product in Lamborghini's portfolio. It currently sells the Huracan and Aventador supercars. "The introduction of a third model line endorses the stable and sustainable growth of the company and signifies for us the beginning of a new era," Lamborghini chief executive Stephan Winkelmann said in a statement. The project is also a boon for Italy, which will get 500 new jobs in the Emilia Romagna region as Lamborghini's factory will nearly double in size. Ian Fletcher, principal analyst for IHS Automotive, said the SUV will position Lamborghini for future growth. "It could well also bring new customers to the brand [who] may find the dramatic styling of Lamborghini products appealing, but find its typical sports cars restrictive," he said. "If it is a success, the SUV could be a catalyst to Lamborghini broadening its portfolio further." OTHER NEWS & NOTES GM invests in Chevy Camaro factory General Motors is investing $175 million to upgrade its factory in Lansing, MI, to build the 2016 Chevy Camaro. The investment will pay for new tooling and equipment. The improvements include three new paint systems and two new robotic framers. GM will add a second shift at the factory to build the Camaro, resulting in 500 jobs. The automaker had dropped the plant to one shift last year amid slow sales for its products, the Cadillac ATS and CTS. GM is spending $5.4 billion over the next three years to upgrade its US facilities. Last week, GM announced plans to spend $439 million to build a new paint shop for the Chevy Corvette. While the Camaro and Corvette plant improvements are intriguing to enthusiasts, GM also confirmed this week that it is investing $1.2 billion in its Fort Wayne (IN) factory that builds trucks.

London police joyride in Lamborghini Huracan

A pair of Metropolitan London police officers are in hot water after they questionably impounded a Lamborghini Huracan earlier this summer. Oh, and they took it for a joyride. The stop, pictured above, occurred on June 2. The Huracan belongs to a rental car company was pulled over for having no insurance near Heathrow Airport. In Britain, police use a national database to run license plates to see if a car is insured. London-based City Supercars had recently updated the insurance on the $260,000-Lambo. However, there was a lag before the information was uploaded to the database. When manager Erwyn Mackee tried to explain the situation on the phone, the police weren't interested. "The officer was just being unreasonable and out of hand on the phone to me, and I was just trying to explain the facts calmly. He was just off his head, completely bonkers - it was very frustrating," Mackee told the Telegraph. So the Lambo was seized. But police decided to have a little fun with the car before sending it to an impound lot. Mackee checked the traffic-tracking software in the Huracan and found that officers were having a blast with their new prize. At one point, they hit 63 miles per hour in a 30-mph zone. Mackee called Met police out on Twitter. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Mackee, who is also a lawyer, told the Telegraph that the problem has been resolved amicably. Scotland Yard was embarrassed by the incident and punished the officers involved. One officer received three points on his license while the other was subject to management action. Related Video:

Here's why the Lamborghini Lanzador EV is neither sedan nor SUV

Unveiled earlier in 2023, the Lamborghini Lanzador concept previews the Italian brand's first series-produced electric car. It features a 2+2 interior, which isn't new for Lamborghini (the company built 2+2 GTs for decades), but it's characterized by a rather unconventional design pegged at the intersection of crossovers, coupes, and station wagons. Here's why designers and engineers chose to straddle segments. "We were scouting opportunities in our portfolio [when we started the project], and there are two segments that we are not covering. One is the sedan segment, and the other is the 2+2 segment," Federico Foschini, Lamborghini's chief marketing and sales officer, told me. His team quickly ruled out taking Lamborghini into the sedan segment for the first time, as the body style had at least two strikes against it. "One, it was already clear when we decided to do the Urus instead of the Estoque that the sedan segment is declining, while the SUV segment is picking up. The second point is that, when it comes to sedans, it's a very regional discussion. In China, which is one of the main sedan markets, you need a long-wheelbase car — a chauffeur-driven car. This is not Lamborghini. This can't be Lamborghini," he said. Meanwhile, the 2+2 body style is more closely aligned with the firm's image in terms of design, performance, and heritage. And yet, the Lanzador eschews the usual GT proportions defined by a low ride height and a long hood. Mitja Borkert's design team did that on purpose. "It is the volume of a super-sports car in a higher position. It's as simple as that," Borkert, Lamborghini's head of design, told me. Instead of looking toward the past, or taking a peek at what rivals are doing, he drew inspiration from the firm's current range of models. "We were working on the Huracan Sterrato, where you have this higher seating position. There's the exterior cladding, and it looks quite rugged. I said that a cleaner version of the Sterrato could work perfectly for the 2+2. It's a spaceship with a higher position," he summed up. As for the proportions, Borkert cited the electric drivetrain as one reason to think beyond the classic definition of a 2+2 gran turismo. "The tradition of having a long hood is giving you the impression that there's a huge engine, and that is not the case when you have an electric car. An electric car is different, and we don't want to follow what others are doing.